John Wells (1907-2000)

Air, Water, Stone

Wells trained as a doctor and studied art in his spare time. He met Ben Nicholson on a visit to Cornwall in 1928 and kept in touch during the 1930s. He gave up his job as GP for the Scilly Isles in 1945 to take up art full time. Although he lived in Newlyn he was an important figure in St Ives, a founder member of the Crypt Group and the Penwith Society of Artists.

Like many of his contemporaries Wells was inspired by the Cornish landscape but in his paintings wanted to express his experiences and feelings rather than simply represent what he saw. He was not interested by Abstract Expressionism and remained true to the pre-war artistic ideals of Nicholson and Gabo. Air, Water, Stone was inspired by the natural world but reflects the artist's interest in geometry and balancing colour and form.

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